78 draft prospects part 1 :
www.heraldsun.com.au
MITCH SZYBKOWSKI
Club: Frankston (VFL)/Dandenong Stingrays/ Beaconsfield FC
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 84 kg
DOB: 09/01/04
An inside midfielder, Szybkowski brings a real competitive edge with his attack on the ball, clean hands and vision. He has been a prolific ball winner for the Stingrays and with Vic Country last year and has already had a taste of VFL football with the Dolphins. He was again in the thick of the action with 20 disposals in the first of the Young Guns games against Vic Metro. In the second Young Guns match against Vic Country, he had 19 disposals in a different role down back.
JACK CLEAVER
Club: Essendon (VFL) /East Fremantle FC/ Rossmoyne FC
Height: 188 cm
Weight: 87 kg
DOB: 22/05/04
A left-footed medium defender, Cleaver was a consistent performer for Western Australia at under-18 level last year as well as playing seven matches at senior level with East Fremantle, including finals. He is a really strong player in his attack on the ball and a clean ball handler. Cleaver has relocated to Victoria and is playing in Essendon’s VFL team. He was impressive in wet and slippery conditions in the Young Guns’ first game against Vic Metro, having 18 disposals.
ARCHER MAY
Club: Sandringham Dragons/ Richmond(VFL)/Old Brighton FC
Height: 199 cm
Weight: 95 kg
DOB: 27/08/04
A tall forward who has mixed his football between Richmond (VFL) and the Sandringham Dragons this year, May showed a strong set of hands with four marks in very slippery and challenging conditions in the first Young Guns game against Vic Metro but let himself down with his goal kicking as he booted 1.4. Despite that, he was still among his team’s better players. There is still plenty of upside given it is his first year in the elite pathways
TOM ANASTASOPOULOS
Club: Geelong Falcons /Newtown ChilwellFC/Geelong College
Height: 176 cm
Weight: 66 kg
DOB: 31/05/05
A small forward, Anastasopoulos has been a surprise packet in the early part of the year and some standout performances for the Falcons saw him added to the Vic Country squad. He has brought real intensity inside 50 with his tackling pressure and has been able to hit the scoreboard. He has kicked 12 goals from four games, along with averaging 14.8 disposals and five tackles.
KYNAN BROWN
Club: Oakleigh Chargers/ Blackburn FC/ Box Hill SC
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 74 kg
DOB: 13/01/05
A left-footed inside midfielder who also has the ability to play across half forward or half back, Brown possesses quick hands, has sharp vision and opens up the play with his creativity around stoppages. He had an interrupted pre-season after sustaining an ankle injury during a Vic Metro camp in January, but is gradually working back towards his best. Across his first four games for the Chargers in the Coates Talent League, Brown averaged 18 disposals and 4.5 score involvements. He is a co-captain of the Chargers this season and is the son of former Melbourne defender Nathan D Brown. Given his father played 146 games for Demons, Kynan is eligible to join Melbourne under the father-son rule this year.
WILL BROWN
Club: Sandringham Dragons/East Brighton FC/Kawana Park Eagles FC-Qld.
Height: 194 cm
Weight: 85 kg
DOB: 16/06/05
A tall midfielder or forward who was a premiership player with the Dragons in his bottom-age year, Brown has been given the responsibility as captain this year. He started the season impressively, averaging 23.3 disposals (11.3 contested) and a goal per game from the first four rounds after moving into the midfield. He is a player who is a strong contested ball winner and a one-touch player with terrific work ethic.
NATE CADDY
Club: Northern Knights/Bundoora FC/Parade College
Height: 192 cm
Weight: 91 kg
DOB: 14/07/05
A strong-marking forward with a vice-like grip overhead and an exciting natural leap, Caddy burst onto the scene last year and was quickly featuring for Vic Metro as a bottom-aged player who provided a lively, athletic target. He has kicked 23 goals in 15 matches in the Coates Talent League over the past two years, while also averaging 5.9 score involvements and 4.5 marks over that time. Caddy has a real physical presence up forward and gave a further glimpse of his potential with a bag of four goals from 20 disposals and six marks in a recent Vic Metro trial match. In a match for Australia’s under-18 side against Carlton’s VFL side in May he also caught the eye with his work in attack, finishing with 14 disposals, four marks and a goal. Caddy is the nephew of two-time Richmond premiership star Josh Caddy.
JORDAN CROFT
Club: Calder Cannons/Maribyrnong Park FS/Maribyrnong SC
Height: 200 cm
Weight: 80 kg
DOB: 05/12/05
A tall forward who is lightly-built but extremely athletic, Croft uses his mobility and height to create opportunities as a marking forward. He only fully focused on a potential AFL career last year after pursuing volleyball as his sport, before showing immediate potential for the Cannons. Croft provided a glimpse of his capabilities in a recent Coates Talent League match against the Northern Territory, where he kicked five goals from his 12 disposals and two marks. He followed up that performance with four goals for Victoria Metro against the Young Guns in a challenge match, with his speed and precise kicking being features of his game. He is eligible to join the Western Bulldogs under father-son rules given he is the son of former AFL star Matthew Croft, who played 186 games for the club.
WIL DAWSON
Club: Gippsland Power/Leongatha FC/Leongatha SC
Height: 200 cm
Weight: 86 kg
DOB: 20/12/05
A tall forward or ruckman who presents very well on the lead as a marking target, Dawson was eye-catching when he booted three goals and took four marks in the first Vic Country trial. He has had a significant growth spurt of 20cm in the past two years, but has maintained that aggression and intensity of attacking ground balls which are usually associated with smaller players. One of the younger players in this year’s draft pool, Dawson does not turn 18 until late December, indicating plenty of upside to come. He has averaged 13.3 disposals and 3.7 marks in a strong start to the season for the Power.
ZANE DUURSMA
Club: Gippsland Power/Foster FC/Foster SC
Height: 189 cm
Weight: 79 kg
DOB: 28/08/05
A mercurial forward or midfielder who reads the play exceptionally well, Duursma is strong overhead and deadly accurate around the goals. He has a clever step through congestion and is an elite athlete with his running ability. Duursma has shown enormous promise in the Coates Talent League over the past two years and earnt Team of the Year honours last year as a bottom-aged player. He started this year solidly with the Power, averaging 20 disposals and one goal from his first two matches. He also had a VFL opportunity with the Casey Demons in Round 6, where he logged 12 disposals. Duursma hails from a talented football family, with his brother Xavier and sister Yasmine on Port Adelaide’s men’s and women’s lists.
KADE DE LA RUE
Club: Dandenong Stingrays/Beaconsfield FC/St Francis Xavier College
Height: 184 cm
Weight: 77 kg
DOB: 19/11/05
A medium forward, De La Rue does most things well in accumulating the ball and then making good decisions with his neat disposal. His November birth date suggests he has further physical upside to come. De La Rue will be looking to build on an excellent start to the season with the Stingrays, where he averaged 24 disposals (10 contested), 4.5 tackles and 2.8 clearances across his first four matches.
HARRY DE MATTIA
Club: Dandenong Stingrays/Edithvale-Aspendale FC/SEDA
Height: 184 cm
Weight: 77 kg
DOB: 9/11/05
A midfielder-forward, De Mattia has elite speed and endurance which enables him to get up and down the ground to win the ball both at ground level and overhead. He brings real pressure for his team with his ability to run down tackle against the flow. A left-footer, he opened the Coates Talent League season in great form, averaging 17.5 disposals, 5 marks and 4.5 tackles across his first four matches. De Mattia is a dual sport athlete who has mixed his football with cricket. He has represented Victoria at underage level in cricket with distinction and ultimately will need to choose his sporting preference in due course.
JOEL FREIJAH
Club: GWV Rebels/ Horsham Saints/Ballarat Clarendon College
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 86 kg
DOB: 14/11/05
A wingman who has real composure with the ball, Freijah is clean below his knees and distributes the ball very well. He has been in outstanding form in recent weeks. He produced a best-on-ground performance for the Rebels in Round 4 of the Coates Talent League, kicking six goals from 26 disposals while predominantly playing on a wing. Freijah backed that up with 35 disposals in a Vic Country trial in his very next match. He holds his width when playing on the wing, providing his team with an outlet option with its ball movement. However, he can also play inside, where he uses his vision and footy smarts to set up the play. A strong all-round athlete, Freijah ran a time of 2.98 seconds in the 20 metre sprint during pre-season testing.
WILL GREEN
Club: Northern Knights/Northcote FC/Thornbury HS
Height: 204 cm
Weight: 89 kg
DOB: 09/08/05
A developing ruckman who is both mobile and strong overhead, Green is showing real potential with his ruck craft and his ability to impact the game at stoppages. He emerged with the Knights last year in the Coates Talent League and was later selected in the AFL Academy squad. A co-captain of the Knights, Green has made a solid start to his season, averaging 7.3 disposals, 2.3 marks and 16.3 hitouts in his first three games.
ANGUS HASTIE
Club: Geelong Falcons FC/Geelong West Giants/Geelong Lutheran College
Height: 189 cm
Weight: 77 kg
DOB: 19/09/05
An athletic medium defender who sets the play up from defence with his run and ball use, Hastie has been impressive for the Falcons in the early part of the year. Across his first four matches in the Coates Talent League, he averaged 22.5 disposals at 85 per cent efficiency. He is often given the responsibility for kick-ins, which he executes with precision.Hastie had a similar role in a Vic Country trial match, when he racked up 28 disposals. He tested very well earlier in the year, recording a 20m sprint time of 2.93 seconds and a yo-yo test level of 21.05, highlighting his athletic capabilities.
JACOB GRANT
Club: Dandenong Stingrays/ Endeavour Hills FC/ Gleneagles SC
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 84 kg
DOB: 18/07/05
A medium forward, Grant burst onto the scene when he kicked three goals in consecutive weeks for the Stingrays in the Coates Talent League, in matches against the Power and Rebels. Those performances earned him a spot in the national championship trials, where he again hit the scoreboard with two goals from nine disposals for Vic Country. Grant has an exciting leap and speed off the mark and is a difficult matchup given his athletic abilities.
WILL LORENZ
Club: Oakleigh Chargers/Boroondara Hawks FC / Marcellin College
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 70 kg
DOB: 19/02/05
A lightly-built wingman or forward, Lorenz produced some eye-catching matches last year. In a Victorian Futures game against Queensland, he had 32 disposals and kicked three goals. He went on to feature for Team Murphy on the MCG on AFL Grand Final day last year and logged 24 disposals, nine marks and a goal to give a further indication of his undoubted potential. A left-footer who has good speed and a neat step through traffic, Lorenz had a disrupted summer due to injury but is now back on track. He played two of the first three games in the Coates Talent League, averaging 20 disposals (13 uncontested) and 6 score involvements. Lorenz is the grandson of former Hawthorn great Graham Arthur.
LUAMON LUAL
Club: Greater Western Victoria Rebels/South Warrnambool FC/Emmanuel College
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 72 kg
DOB: 28/03/05
A wingman or defender who is a well-balanced and skilful player, Lual is part of the AFL’s Multicultural Academy given he is of South Sudanese heritage. A good player one-on-one, he started the season in good touch as he averaged 17.8 disposals (6.3 contested) across the opening four games for the Rebels in the Coates Talent League. Lual is also part of the Western Bulldogs NGA program. Under AFL rules, the Bulldogs will be allowed to match any bid on him from a rival club after selection 40 in this year’s draft.
LOGAN MORRIS
Club: Western Jets/Werribee Districts FC/Mary MacKillop College
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 88 kg
DOB: 05/10/05
A strong-marking forward, Morris forced his way into the Vic Metro under-18 team for a taste of national championship football in his bottom-age year in 2022. He finished with 39 goals for the season from his 18 matches in the pathways programs and has begun 2023 in a similar vein of form. Morris booted 5.2 against Brisbane in his most recent game for the Jets in the Coates Talent League, giving him 13 goals from four matches this year. Morris has continued to build on his ability to keep presenting as a mobile marking target, while clean hands at ground level are another key part of his skill set.
OLLIE MURPHY
Club: Sandringham Dragons/ East Brighton Vampires/Caulfield Grammar
Height: 200 cm
Weight: 85 cm
DOB: 16/09/05
A lightly-built tall defender who sets the play up with his neat left-foot kicking, Murphy continues to work on his defensive craft. He reads the ball particularly well in flight and makes good decisions on when to mark or spoil, as well as being courageous in the contest. Murphy impressed in the Vic Metro trial match in April, gathering 13 disposals and taking four marks. As he develops physically in time, he will be capable of playing on the opposition’s tallest forwards.
CAM NYKO
Club: Eastern Ranges/ Healesville FC/Mt Lilydale Mercy College
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 74 kg
DOB: 25/11/05
A defender or midfielder, Nyko has the ability to gain meterage for his team through his dazzling speed and penetrating left-foot kicking. He makes good decisions with the ball and is often given the responsibility of kicking in for his team, as well as being an important connector. Nyko has averaged 10 handball receives, as he links up from the back half. In good touch in the first four rounds of the Coates Talent League, he has averaged 23.5 disposals (8.5 contested) for the Ranges.
JOE PIKE
Club: Geelong Falcons/ Barwon Heads FC/Geelong Lutheran College
Height: 203 cm
Weight: 96 kg
DOB: 17/05/05
A developing ruckman who is filling into his giant frame, Pike is still fairly raw. He hails from a basketball background and he’s still developing his football craft but has started the season very well for the Falcons. Pike is averaging 10 disposals and 22 hitouts, providing his midfield group with good supply. He looks like being an important component of Vic Country’s push for an AFL under-18 National Championships win in 2023.
NATHAN PHILACTIDES
Club: Oakleigh Chargers/ Blackburn FC/Yarra Valley Grammar
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 78 kg
DOB: 01/10/05
A left-footed defender, Philactides burst on the scene last year when he averaged 19.5 disposals across two matches for Vic Metro in the national championships as a bottom-aged player. Coming from an athletics background, he was once ranked in the top-five in the world in the 400 metres hurdles, so it was no surprise when he posted a quick time of 7.9 seconds in the agility test during pre-season testing. Philactides also caught the eye for Vic Metro in its challenge game against the Young Guns, racking up 25 disposals across half back to finish as one of his team’s best players. He again put his impressive pace and agility on display that day, despite wet conditions.
ARCHER REID
Club: Gippsland Power/Inverloch Kongwak FC/Bass Coast College
Height: 203 cm
Weight: 85 kg
DOB: 19/09/05
A tall forward who is an exceptional overhead mark, Reid is extremely mobile, good below his knees and has a natural goal sense which makes him a difficult match-up. After performing strongly for the Power last season - including kicking three goals in the preliminary final - he had an injury-interrupted start to 2023. However, Reid is now fully fit once again and is ready to show his undoubted potential in the national championships. In his one match in the Coates Talent League this year, he logged 17 disposals and kicked three goals against Murray Bushrangers to give a glimpse of what's to come. Reid is the younger brother of Essendon defender Zach.
HARLEY REID
Club: Bendigo Pioneers/Tongala FC/St Joseph's Echuca
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 85 kg
DOB: 18/04/05
An exciting prospect, Reid excelled in the under-18 national championships for Vic Country last year. He played a mix of defence, midfield and forward roles, showcasing his versatility and earning him All-Australian honours. He also won Team of the Year selection in the Talent League, after finishing as runner-up in the Pioneers’ best-and-fairest award. Reid has continued that form into the early part of the season, with his bursts from stoppages and precise ball use both features of his game. He won the Australian under-18s best player award in the AFL Academy squad’s match against Port Adelaide’s SANFL team in April, collecting a team-high 22 disposals (14 contested), six marks and seven clearances in a very impressive performance. Reid has already had a taste of VFL football with Carlton to continue his development leading into this year’s national championships. He suffered a head knock in his second match for the Australian under-18 team in May, but should be back on the park before Vic Country’s first match of the championships against South Australia on June 18.
ARCHIE ROBERTS
Club: Sandringham Dragons/Hampton Rovers FC/Haileybury College
Height: 184 cm
Weight: 77 kg
DOB: 18/11/05
A left-footed half back who is a penetrating kick, Roberts is a fine interceptor of the ball and uses his anticipation and clean hands to have an impact. He had an excellent season with the Dragons last year, including racking up 21 disposals in their winning Grand Final side. He went on to log 26 disposals on the MCG on AFL Grand Final day last year as part of the Futures game in another eye-catching performance. Roberts was also among Vic Metro’s best with 25 disposals against the Young Guns and showed off his clean ball handling and good kicking skills despite wet and slippery conditions. He was also good with 17 disposals for Australia’s under-18 team in its match against Carlton’s VFL side in May.
MICHAEL RUDD
Club: Geelong Falcons/ St Mary’s FC/St Joseph’s College
Height: 192 cm
Weight: 84 kg
DOB: 14/05/05
A left-footed forward, Rudd can win the ball in the air and at ground level. Possessing good endurance, he is also a neat kick of the ball around the ground and at goal and has started the season solidly. With the Falcons in the Coates Talent League, Rudd averaged 15 disposals, 3.3 marks and kicked five goals from the opening four rounds.